The next-generation space telescope SPHEREx, in which South Korea participated in the development, headed to space after 7 attempts and 8 failures.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the SpaceX Falcon 9, carrying SPHEREx, was successfully launched at 11:10 p.m. on 12th (local time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This translates to 12:10 a.m. on the 13th in South Korean time.
SPHEREx separated from the Falcon 9 rocket 42 minutes after launch, reaching a solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 650 km. After another 38 minutes, it successfully communicated with the Norway Svalbard ground station center, part of NASA's Near-Earth Network.
A Space Agency official noted, "SPHEREx will enter the initial operational phase for about 37 days, during which it will test the telescope," and added, "After completing the initial operational phase, it will conduct observational missions for about 25 months."
SPHEREx is an international project led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), involving 12 organizations, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. The mission aims to photograph the entire sky in 102 different infrared wavelengths to collect information about approximately 1 billion celestial bodies.
There are no oceans or lakes in space, but ice can be found combined with tiny dust particles. Scientists report that most of the water existing in space is stored in this form and plan to use SPHEREx to seek out ice particles found throughout the galaxy. While existing space telescopes have captured 2D images of celestial bodies, SPHEREx will collect 3D information to determine how much ice exists within molecular clouds and how the composition of the ice changes in various environments within the cloud.
SPHEREx orbits the Earth 14.5 times a day on a 98-minute cycle and captures images of space more than 600 times. Jung Woong-seob, South Korea's lead researcher from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, expressed hope, saying, "If SPHEREx successfully completes its mission, it will provide important clues to understanding the creation and evolution of the universe through infrared 3D cosmic maps and an all-sky spectroscopic catalog, allowing astronomers not only from South Korea but from around the world to conduct various studies of celestial bodies."
SPHEREx was initially scheduled to launch on February 28, but the launch was delayed due to various issues. An abnormality was found in the key components of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, and a leak was confirmed in the fairing's pneumatic device, which covers the upper part of the rocket. The launch, which was on schedule for the 8th, was postponed again due to worsening local weather conditions.
After 7 attempts and 8 failures, SPHEREx, which is heading to space, is expected to detach from the rocket's second stage 41 minutes after launch and be positioned at the target altitude of 650 km. It will create a 3D map of the entire universe over the next two years.
In addition to SPHEREx, the Falcon 9 also carried NASA's small exploratory mission, the solar wind observation satellite "PUNCH."